JohnS

I very much enjoyed last night’s performance and echo the plaudits for the soloists, chorus and orchestra under Bertrand de Billy’s sympathetic conductorship. I thought Brian Jagde (Don Carlos) needed a bit of time to warm up but he certainly impressed in the latter Acts. Lise Davidsen (Elizabeth of Valois) was astonishingly good, one of those singers with a thrilling voice who absolutely commands the stage. I was hugely impressed by John Relyea (Philip II) - his Act 4 opening solo was wonderful and set the tone for a compelling study scene. Luca Micheletti (Rodrigo) and Yulia Matochkina (Eboli) more than held their own. They all made for a fabulous quintet of principals who were well supported by Taras Shtonda (Grand Inquisitor) and Alexander Köpeczi (Carlos V). Shout out too for Sarah Dufresne (Voice from Heaven) - a very apt description. I had hoped to be more impressed with the production. I thought the interior scenes worked best, Carlos V’s tomb, and Philip’s study. But the exterior scenes didn't seem as strong - Fontainebleau, the gardens, and I’m afraid the Act 3 auto-da-fe. In the latter scene there just seemed to be a very odd mix of styles and, despite the extra chorus, there was so much empty space on the stage. That said I thought it highly effective for the cast to be looking at the audience when the ‘celebrations’ commenced and the Voice of Heaven was stunning. I also found the front ‘curtain/structure with square windows’ being lowered between scenes and action continuing in front not a great help, for example Rodrigo’s body being carried off.

I think in recent years the Annual Performance has often been Saturday midday and next year it reverts to that time on 6 July, a week earlier. Sunday matinees are impossible to do as a day trip for me as the first Sunday train doesn’t arrive in Euston until just before 3pm. But this year I’m very pleased to be seeing Don Carlo on the Saturday evening and can get home on Sunday after the Royal Ballet School’s performance. I’m even using my free Standard Premium return ticket as I’d bought sufficient tickets to qualify for Avanti Gold card membership. A very satisfying way to bring the curtain down on the 2022-23 season.

Surely ‘mis-step’ not ‘error’?

Many thanks @Bluebird. I’d been told ROH is emailing everyone and assumed the email you posted was the statement. Perhaps there’ll be something else later on or in the morning.

Very welcome news and I’m quite sure this thread has helped in bringing about the rethink. I’d checked the seat map earlier in the day but it was still showing £26 for standing so I was beginning to think there wouldn’t be any changes. I phoned the Box Office late afternoon as I hadn’t heard about my Don Q preferences and was delighted to find standing tickets are £14. I’m not sure what other changes have been made - it looks as if Amphitheatre F38 which @bridiem raised and which I’d flagged in my email is still £67. I don’t think the Friends email problem has yet been sorted as I haven’t received this evening’s email which @Bluebird posted above. All very odd as Membership assure me my email is correctly showing on their list. I’m hoping to have a good look at the Autumn seat maps and also look back a few years when price maps were published and where there was a much more consistent pattern. I think it would be good to see how ticket prices have increased for ballet and opera, either as a result of inflation or whenmseats have been moved to a higher price category. I also think there’s considerable merit in looking at ticket prices as a percentage of the top price as I know there are some very significant differences.

I understand the criticisms being made and there have been some spectacular ROH own goals but I wonder if some recent successes have been rather forgotten? It’s only a few months since the Friends 60th Anniversary celebrations which I thought were pretty well received. I appreciate that the ‘feel good’ factor is evaporating and for some may have completely evaporated. I just hope the ROH deals with the immediate Don Q pricing issues, undertakes an urgent review of pricing to ensure all inconsistencies are addressed for Winter and the rest of the season, and sorts IT/website problems. A public statement with an apology for the recent hiatus, the Don Q action being taken for 5th July (as a minimum bringing the standing price in line with the other Autumn standing prices), and setting out the work needed to ensure all runs smoothly for the rest of the season would be enormously welcome.

I can’t recall reading a more dispiriting thread on BalletcoForum and thought ROH senior people should know the strength of feeling as regards the Don Q booking issues and particularly the £26 standing price. I’ve therefore followed up Friday’s email to Alex Beard with a link to this thread, copied to Kevin O’Hare and key senior managers. I’d like to think the collective dismay expressed in so many posts will help bring about change and correct what seems to be an obvious error in the absence of any published rationale for having Don Q prices so out of step with other prices.

I still see this as cockup (albeit large) rather than conspiracy which could be readily sorted before 5th July. I emailed Alex Beard and will post news of any reply. Always good to get the Friends fortnightly letter but disappointing there’s no mention of the Don Q difficulties and new arrangements.

I’ve had a reply from the Box Office which I’m afraid confirms the Don Q prices, including the £26 standing price. I cannot understand how it can be correct that standing for DonQ is more expensive than for Das Rheingold and is about double the price of Nutcracker/Dante standing. And this is just one particularly striking example as I know there are many other very significant price hikes which look erroneous. I’ve said I’ll take this up with Alex Beard so I’ll contact him this afternoon. On the other issues, the Box Office will honour the ticket preferences received prior to 5th July tickets going on sale. Having made the offer, I have some sympathy with what the ROH is now doing but the offer was made to those who happened to contact the Box Office and were therefore in the know rather than advertised to all and if the circumstances arose again, I think the fairer route would be to reschedule the booking date, let everyone know, and start afresh. Two emails were sent to Premium 2 Friends in recent days but I’m afraid I didn’t receive either of them so I’m not sure how complete the email address list is.

I asked on Tuesday morning specifically about the £26 and was told that was one of the issues under discussion. The member of staff thought it must be an error. I also included it in giving the rationale for asking whether the seat map prices are final or work in progress.

I was too late to phone the Box Office this evening so I have asked: Whether priority is being given to those Friends who expressed their preferences by phone (or email?) or if booking begins afresh at 10:00 on 5 July? Whether the on line seat map is final or work in progress (and I hope very much the latter)? Whether general emails have been sent to Friends affected by the DonQ difficulties updating them of progress and how Friends have been selected to be sent emails? I’ve included brief text explaining why I’m asking these questions. We normally get Friends newsletters on alternate Fridays with one expected tomorrow. I do hope there’s some helpful information setting out what’s gone on and what the new arrangements are.

Well that’s not the message I was given and I’m afraid I haven’t received any email.

I was going on @oncnp’s post above but I guess 5 July has to be confirmed. The Box Office team member I spoke to is working on the basis that booking begins on 5 July.

Many thanks @oncnp. I’ve just got home and couldn’t see the new booking dates. And DonQ seems to have disappeared from the calendar. I spoke to the Box Office as I was wondering what was happening about Friends who might have put in their booking requests over the phone which was an option that was offered for a time on Tuesday. I’m assured that it’s a completely new start on 5 August and Friends have not been able to reserve tickets in advance of the new timetable. Here’s hoping all goes smoothly on 5 August.

Having seen the various reviews and recognising that Jonas Kaufman was probably not marking his part during the General Rehearsal, I haven’t as yet booked for a full performance. I’ll keep an eye on casting and may try Friday rush for the final performance.

Very much looking forward to 15 July and then the Royal Ballet School’s annual performance, last London trip this season.

There was a fair amount of comment on ballet standing prices when the 2023-24 season was announced. The information published at the time had the following ballet standing prices: Nutcracker, the most expensive ballet in the Autumn with top price £160, standing was £12; Don Q and Dante standing was £14 (top prices £150 and £130); Cellist standing was £9 (top price £110). I think Nutcracker standing prices have for some reason been a little out of step (less expensive) compared to other ballets.

Many thanks @oncnp - I haven’t received an email but does your email suggest that DonQ tickets won’t be on sale at 9:00 tomorrow morning? I thought at one stage there was a suggestion that the booking date for DonQ for Premium 2 Friends had been put back 24 hours.

Whilst DonQ booking is a mess, I’m impressed by the Box Office call back and the offer to take down details of the tickets I’d like to reserve them. But I’d much prefer to make decisions when I can see what’s available so I’ve opted for a phone call when on line sales are made available. I asked about the £26 standing price and that seemed to be one of several issues being examined. But I f the standing price is incorrect I’m not sure how it can be a ‘technical’ issue as it’s more a pricing policy error where there’s been insufficient review.

The DonQ seat map now says: Tickets for this event are not currently on sale

Very frustrating re DonQ although I’ve managed to get all other tickets without any difficulties. The £26 DonQ standing ticket price (if correct) is more expensive than Das Rheingold standing ticket price (£25).

Apologies - I’d meant to put my post above on the unlocked Laura Morera thread. I’m afraid I hadn’t realised the unlocking comments were on this thread - too eager to get out and make the most of the fresher weather.

I’ve had a quick look and it’s a mess. The pricing information simply isn’t there for many seats I’ve tried but it is for some seats (eg Balcony). I hope things work at 9:00am but I’d much prefer to have looked at the information in advance and decided on what seats I’d like to go for before booking opens. And there’s no additional casting information.

Very pleased to see the thread unlocked and many thanks to whoever has done the tidying. Thanks also to @Rob S for his explanation about the photo of Laura’s audience bouquets. For Laura’s final London performance I think just one bouquet was presented before the procession of male Principals and partners over the years. So I’d been struggling with Rob’s photo and the number of bouquets … although I had thought one of them looked familiar. I’d been meaning to say how wonderful it was to see Laura at the stage door after her final performance. Quite a crowd including a number of Royal Ballet School students. Laura had a stash of signed photos - that fabulous Giselle curtain call low bow taken from the stage which closes her recently streamed Insight interview. The photos were initially for all the students but there seemed to be sufficient for everyone and I was very pleased to have one. The photos also helped Laura have a few words with everyone leaving those offering their congratulations hugely satisfied and Laura able to rejoin the celebrations inside. Nothing seemed rushed with Laura happily happily posing for photos. Indeed as with her performances, Laura has so much time, commands the stage, and so engages audiences.

Friends booking opens next Tuesday June 27 (Premium 2) so I assume Patrons are already able to book. But I haven’t seen any pricing maps nor is there any extra casting information (eg Clara, Hans Peter, Drosselmeyer). I’m hoping there’ll be a Friends e letter this afternoon as they tend to be emailed on Fridays but they’re normally fortnightly and one was sent last Friday. All seems a bit disconcerting to me.